Inmarsat launches FleetBroadband for Comfortable Life on the High Seas

by OldSailor on November 19, 2007

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Inmarsat’s president Michael Butler, has announced today, 19 November the commercial launch of FleetBroadband.

FleetBroadband is the first maritime communications service to provide cost effective broadband data and voice simultaneously,through a compact antenna on a global basis.

The communication is through the most advanced communication satellites which are expected to be in operation up to 2020, thus offering a reliable communication network.

FleetBroadband is suitable to run commercially available software as well as specialized user applications.

Based on 3G standards, FleetBroadband provides simultaneous voice and high speed data services on a global basis. FleetBroadband is ideal for

Email and Webmail

Realtime electronic charts and weather updates

Remote company intranet and internet access

Secure communications

Large file transfer

Crew communications

Vessel/engine telemetry

SMS and instant messaging

Video conferencing

Store and forward video

Two types of terminals, FB 250 and FB 500 are available

Features

FB 250

FB 500

Data – Standard IP

Upto 284 kbps

Upto 432 kbps

Data – Streaming IP

32,64,128 kbps

32,64,128,256 kbps

ISDN

-

64 kbps

Voice

4 kbps, digital, 3.1 Khz audio

4 kbps, digital, 3.1 Khz audio

Fax

Group 3 fax via 3.1 khz audio

Group 3 fax via 3.1 khz audio

SMS

Standard 3G, up to 160 characters

Standard 3G, up to 160 characters

Antenna – Diameter

25 cm

57 cm

Antenna – Height

28 cm

68 cm

Antenna – Weight

2.5 kg

18 kg

FleetBroadband coverage:

The service is initially available across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, from the Americas to the Pacific Rim. Full global coverage is expected towards the end of 2008 after the successful launch of the third Inmarsat-4 satellite next year.

The map depicts Inmarsat’s expectations of coverage, but does not represent a guarantee of service. The availability of service at the edge of coverage fluctuates depending on various conditions.

Stratos Global Corporation, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, has successfully completed a FleetBroadband field trial with its long-standing customer, the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN). Read more from Stratos Global.

Update: September 17

A.P. Moller - Maersk, has signed a contract to retrofit more than 150 vessels with FleetBroadband. The two-year retrofit programme is believed to be the largest in the history of maritime satellite communications. Read more from Inmarsat.

Update: October 02

Inmarsat plans to intoduce a new entry-level FleetBroadband terminal from mid 2009 for the small fishing, leisure and business vessels market. The FB150 terminals will offer simultaneous voice, IP data up to 150kbps and SMS texting. Read more from Inmarsat.

Also by now, more than 1,000 FleetBroadband terminals have been activated by maritime customers eager to take advantage of the new service, which was launched by Inmarsat just 10 months ago. Read more from Inmarsat.

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